Megathura Crenulata has a huge medical value by it being used majorly in bladder cancer, breast cancer, and blood cancer vaccines. The KLH is also used for hypertension and arthritis as well. This is because inside this large limpet has hemocyanin {KLH} that carries oxygen in the limpet blood. The KLH is near virus size and contains many epitopes, which triggers our body to produce antibodies. This protein is extremely rare in the world and commands prices as high as $200,000 per gram for medical-grade material. Several of the largest drug companies in the world are currently testing vaccines which utilize large quantities of KLH. The value of KLH, depending on the grade, sells for between $4,000 and $200,000 dollars per gram.Stellar has over 70,000 spawned and juvenile Keyhole Limpets and, when fully-grown, each can produce an average of about 1 gram of KLH per year.
Domain : Eukarya
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Mollusca
Class : Gastropoda
Family : Fissurellidae
Genus : Megathura
Species : M.crenulatata
Fun Facts
Strange characteristics
Protection against predators
A limpet will normally stay in one spot there whole life only leaving at night to get food but will return by using their sensitive chemoreceptors to find their way due to there lack of eyes.
Classification
- People been eating these limpets for over 150,000 years.
- The mollusk shells has been used for southern California currency by the native americans.
- There are thought to be only roughly 120,000 Keyhole Limpets left in the wild and those numbers are quickly depleting.
This gastropod has a variety of defenses like such as fleeing or clamping their shells against the substratum.
Medical Value
Citations
Habitat
Photos
The giant keyhole limpet can be located in a lot of places thru out the world like from Monterrey bay, Canada, Alaska to, Baja, California ,Mexico, British Colombo , and then over to parts of Florida. They can be mostly found in subtropical rocky reefs. They in habit low intertidal zones, but can live in dept up to 110ft. These limpets live in pH of 8.1 to 8.4 and in temperatures of 72-78 degrees
Works Cited
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"Keyhole Limpet Snail." Aquarium Fish: Tropical Freshwater Fish and Saltwater Fish for Home Aquariums. N.p., 2014. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
"KLH." TSX Venture | Junior Gold Stocks. Ed. Pinnacle Digest. Pinnacle Digest, 08 Sept. 2010. Web. 14 Jan. 2014.
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"Limpet." ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation, n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2014.
"Megathura Crenulata — Overview." Encyclopedia of Life. Ed. Nick Franoceur. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Jan. 2014.
"Nature on ARKive â Endangered Species Facts, Wildlife Photos and Wildlife Videos: A World worth Looking At." Arkive. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2014.
"Osteoarthritis Alternatives." Healthy Fellow RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2014.
Roudman, Sam. "How Mollusk Can Cure Blood Cancer." Popular Science 30 Dec. 2011: n. pag. Web. 8 Jan. 2014.
"Shorebird Photos." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2014.
"Tidepool Ecology & Common Organisms." Laguna Ocean Foundation. N.p., 2007. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
"Tunicate." Wikimedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2014.
Brown Algae
Red Algae
Megathura crenulata
'Giant keyhole limpet'
Tunicate
Seals
Bony Fish
Shore birds
Megathura crenulata or more commonly know as 'Giant keyhole limpet' is a member of gastropod which is a large mollusk. This limpet has a soft body and can range anywhere in color from beige all the way to black.This mollusk can grown anywhere from 60mm to 132mm. This giant keyhole limpet has a black central hole which is used to expel waste away from the gills and mouth to avoid the waste reentering its body.
Food Chain